S 1208: Establishes a New York state prison labor board to ensure that all labor programs comply with the requirements of the labor law and are for the purpose of promoting successful rehabilitation, reentry and reintegration into the community and not for the purpose of earnings or cost-savings which inure to the benefit the state or any private individual or corporation; prohibits the department of corrections and community supervision from unfairly attaching, garnishing or disbursing the funds of incarcerated individuals where such individuals have not requested disbursement; requires that all interest accumulated on incarcerated individuals' funds be credited to such individual's accounts; eliminates the preferred status of the department of corrections and community supervision regarding commodities and services furnished by the correctional industries program; repeals certain provisions of the state finance law relating to such preferred status.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1208 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. MYRIE, BRISPORT, CLEARE, GONZALEZ, MAY, PARKER, RIVERA, SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to establishing a New York state prison labor board to ensure that all labor programs comply with the requirements of the labor law and are for the purpose of promoting successful rehabilitation, reentry and reintegration into the community and not for the purpose of earnings or cost-savings which inure to the benefit of the state or any private individual or corporation, prohibiting the department of corrections and community supervision from unfairly attaching, garnishing or disbursing the funds of incarcerated individuals where such individuals have not requested disbursement, and requiring that all interest accumulated on incarcerated individuals' funds be credited to such individual's accounts; and to repeal sections 184, 185 and 186 of the correction law relating thereto; to amend the state finance law and the legisla- tive law, in relation to eliminating the preferred status of the department of corrections and community supervision regarding commod- ities and services furnished by the correctional industries program; and to repeal certain provisions of the state finance law relating to such preferred status The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short Title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "fairness and opportunity for incarcerated workers act". 3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby declares 4 that: 5 1. The current system of prison labor in New York is an outgrowth of 6 the legacy of slavery and has been allowed to continue in our state 7 because of the exception created in the 13th Amendment which abolished 8 slavery "except as punishment for a crime." EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03188-01-5 
 S. 1208 2 1 2. The history of prison labor in New York can be traced back to 2 Auburn Prison, where a cruel and dehumanizing system of forced labor was 3 established 200 years ago with the goal of creating a self-sustaining 4 prison system. 5 3. Today, incarcerated individuals are forced to work under threat of 6 punishment; hourly wages range from ten to sixty-five cents an hour and 7 have not increased since 1993; work conditions are unsafe and have 8 resulted in serious injury and even death; assigned work programs are 9 insufficient to provide incarcerated individuals with the skills and 10 training necessary for successful rehabilitation, reentry and reinte- 11 gration into the community; and there currently exists no means by which 12 incarcerated individuals can organize to work toward improving these 13 conditions. 14 4. The labor of incarcerated individuals has been used to create 15 millions of dollars of profits and cost-savings for the state. 16 5. The current system of prison labor is a violation of human rights 17 and an affront to human dignity. 18 6. The Fairness and Opportunity for Incarcerated Workers Act will: end 19 forced labor; provide for a minimum wage, healthy and safe working 20 conditions, and the right to organize; and require that all work 21 programs provide incarcerated individuals with the skills and training 22 necessary for successful rehabilitation, reentry, and reintegration into 23 the community. The act also establishes a labor board to ensure that 24 these requirements are met; provides a means of redress if labor laws 25 are violated; and eliminates Corcraft's preferred vendor status. 26 § 3. Section 2 of the correction law is amended by adding two new 27 subdivisions 35 and 36 to read as follows: 28 35. "Labor program" means any job or work whereby the department 29 employs, assigns or permits an incarcerated individual to provide 30 services in any correctional facility, jail, reformatory or other insti- 31 tution in the state and for which the minimum wage established by arti- 32 cle nineteen of the labor law would have been due but for such individ- 33 ual's condition of incarceration. Labor programs shall include, but not 34 be limited to, Corcraft prison industry jobs, facility needs jobs, 35 kitchen, laundry, library, groundskeeping and other in-house prison 36 operation and upkeep work, and any other work whereby the labor of an 37 incarcerated individual is contracted, let, farmed out, given or sold to 38 the state, any subdivision thereof, or any public, nonprofit or private 39 entity, shareholder or individual. 40 36. "Labor board" means the prison labor board established pursuant to 41 section 200-a of this chapter. 42 § 4. Section 116 of the correction law, as amended by chapter 322 of 43 the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows: 44 § 116. [incarcerated] Incarcerated individuals' funds. The warden or 45 superintendent of each of the institutions within the jurisdiction of 46 the department of corrections and community supervision shall deposit at 47 least once in each week to [his or her] such warden or superintendent's 48 credit as such warden, or superintendent, in such bank or banks as may 49 be designated by the comptroller, all the moneys received by [him or 50 her] such warden or superintendent as such warden, or superintendent, as 51 incarcerated individuals' funds, and send to the comptroller and also to 52 the commissioner monthly, a statement showing the amount so received and 53 deposited. Such statement of deposits shall be certified by the proper 54 officer of the bank receiving such deposit or deposits. The warden, or 55 superintendent, shall also verify by [his or her] such warden or super- 56 intendent's affidavit that the sum so deposited is all the money 
 S. 1208 3 1 received by [him or her] such warden or superintendent as incarcerated 2 individuals' funds during the month. Any bank in which such deposits 3 shall be made shall, before receiving any such deposits, file a bond 4 with the comptroller of the state, subject to [his or her] such comp- 5 troller's approval, for such sum as [he or she] such comptroller shall 6 deem necessary. Upon a certificate of approval issued by the director of 7 the budget, [pursuant to the provisions of section fifty-three of the 8 state finance law,] the amount of interest, if any, heretofore accrued 9 and hereafter to accrue on moneys so deposited, heretofore and hereafter 10 credited to the warden, or superintendent, by the bank from time to 11 time, shall be [available for expenditure by the warden, or superinten- 12 dent, subject to the direction of the commissioner, for welfare work 13 among the incarcerated individuals in his or her custody. The withdrawal 14 of moneys so deposited by such warden, or superintendent, as incarcerat- 15 ed individuals' funds, including any interest so credited, shall be 16 subject to his or her check] designated as incarcerated individual's 17 funds. Each warden, or superintendent, shall each month provide the 18 comptroller and also the commissioner with a record of all withdrawals 19 from incarcerated individuals' funds. As used in this section, the term 20 " incarcerated individuals' funds" means the funds in the possession of 21 the incarcerated individual at the time of [his or her] such incarcerat- 22 ed individual's admission into the institution, funds earned by [him or 23 her] such incarcerated individual as provided in section one hundred 24 eighty-seven of this chapter, interest accrued on such funds, and any 25 other funds received by [him or her] such incarcerated individual or on 26 [his or her] such incarcerated individual's behalf and deposited with 27 such warden or superintendent in accordance with the rules and regu- 28 lations of the commissioner. [Whenever the total unencumbered value of 29 funds in an incarcerated individual's account exceeds ten thousand 30 dollars, the superintendent shall give written notice to the office of 31 victim services.] 32 § 5. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 200-a to 33 read as follows: 34 § 200-a. Prison labor board; organization, functions, powers and 35 duties. 1. There is hereby established within the department a prison 36 labor board which, for the purposes of this section, shall be referred 37 to as the "labor board". 38 2. The labor board shall be comprised of the following members: 39 (a) the commissioner or their designee; 40 (b) the deputy commissioner for programs or their designee; 41 (c) the commissioner of the department of labor or their designee; 42 (d) the commissioner of the division of human rights or their desig- 43 nee; 44 (e) one formerly incarcerated individual who shall be appointed by the 45 governor; 46 (f) one formerly incarcerated individual who shall be appointed by the 47 chairperson of the assembly committee on correction; 48 (g) one formerly incarcerated individual who shall be appointed by the 49 chairperson of the senate committee on crime victims, crime and 50 correction; 51 (h) three currently incarcerated individuals from the three correc- 52 tional facilities with the largest prison populations and where Corcraft 53 industry is in operation. Such individuals shall be appointed by their 54 facility's incarcerated liaison committee and shall serve terms as 55 defined by this section; 
 S. 1208 4 1 (i) one currently incarcerated individual from a women's correctional 2 facility. Such individual shall be appointed by their facility's incar- 3 cerated liaison committee and shall serve a term as defined by this 4 section; 5 (j) two members of nonprofit reentry programs for incarcerated indi- 6 viduals, one of which serves formerly incarcerated individuals in New 7 York city and one of which serves formerly incarcerated individuals 8 statewide; and 9 (k) two members representing organized labor who shall be appointed by 10 the commissioner of the department of labor. 11 3. The commissioner or their designee and the commissioner of the 12 department of labor or their designee shall serve as co-chairpersons of 13 the labor board. 14 4. All individuals appointed to the labor board shall have direct 15 experience with or demonstrated knowledge of prison labor programs, 16 vocational and occupational training, or community reentry and reinte- 17 gration programs. 18 5. All members of the labor board shall be equal voting members. 19 6. All members of the labor board shall serve two years after initial 20 appointment. After their initial terms, all members shall serve four- 21 year terms. 22 7. Any member chosen to fill in a vacancy created, other than by expi- 23 ration of term, shall be appointed for the unexpired term of the member 24 whom such chosen member is to succeed. Vacancies caused by the expira- 25 tion of term or otherwise shall be filled in the same manner as original 26 appointments. 27 8. The labor board members shall continue in office until the expira- 28 tion of their terms and until their successors are appointed. 29 9. No labor board member shall be appointed to the labor board for 30 more than four consecutive terms. 31 10. Appointments to the labor board shall be made within ninety days 32 of the effective date of this section. 33 11. All nongovernmental labor board members shall be reimbursed for 34 reasonable and necessary expenses related to their official duties as 35 members of the labor board. 36 12. The labor board and each member thereof shall have, but not be 37 limited to the following functions, duties, and powers: 38 (a) to ensure that all labor programs are for the purpose of rehabili- 39 tation and community reentry and reintegration, and not for the purpose 40 of creating profits or cost-savings which inure to the benefit of the 41 state, any subdivision thereof, the department of corrections and commu- 42 nity supervision, any public or nonprofit entity, or any private entity, 43 shareholder, or individual; 44 (b) to develop and implement: 45 (i) uniform rules, regulations, standards, processes, and best prac- 46 tices that all labor programs shall meet; and 47 (ii) uniform rules and regulations that govern the responsibilities of 48 the department and the labor board in designing, implementing, approv- 49 ing, and monitoring labor programs; 50 (c) to approve existing labor programs that meet the requirements of 51 this chapter, to make recommendations for labor programs that are not 52 approved, and to design and implement new labor programs; 53 (d) to ensure that labor programs are made available to all incarcer- 54 ated individuals in an equitable and non-discriminatory manner, and to 55 prohibit the extraction of any form of payment or benefit as a condition 56 of labor program assignment or duties; and 
 S. 1208 5 1 (e) to investigate or take such other action as shall be deemed neces- 2 sary or proper with respect to any labor program that does not comply 3 with the requirements of this article. 4 13. Within one year of the enactment of this section, but no later 5 than December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-six, and annually there- 6 after, the labor board shall report to the governor, the temporary pres- 7 ident of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly the following 8 information for each correctional facility: 9 (a) all activities undertaken by the labor board including approvals, 10 disapprovals, and investigations of current labor programs, and activ- 11 ities related to the creation of new labor programs; 12 (b) a description of the purpose of each labor program, including the 13 skills required to perform the labor and the training or education 14 offered to attain such skills; 15 (c) the wage rate assigned to each type of labor program including 16 variations within the wage rate based on seniority, skills, or other 17 criteria; 18 (d) the physical and environmental hazards that exist for each type of 19 labor program; 20 (e) a datafile consisting of every incarcerated individual participat- 21 ing in a labor program in which each individual is de-identified but is 22 assigned an ID unique to such datafile, which shall include the follow- 23 ing information for each individual for each pay period during the past 24 year: 25 (i) for each incarcerated individual, the wages received by such 26 incarcerated individual with an indication of any amounts that were 27 garnished or attached by the court or the department; 28 (ii) for each incarcerated individual, the total number of hours 29 worked and hourly wage rate assigned to the labor program; 30 (iii) the race, ethnicity, gender, and age for each incarcerated indi- 31 vidual participating in a labor program; 32 (iv) any injuries reported by an incarcerated individual while partic- 33 ipating in a labor program, including a description of the injury 34 received, or exacerbation of an existing injury, the specific labor 35 program in which the injury was received, the treatment administered, 36 and outcome of such treatment; and 37 (v) any reports regarding an incarcerated individual's refusal to work 38 or threatened refusal to work, reasons for such work refusal, and the 39 consequences imposed including, but not limited to, placement on 40 keeplock status, negative behavior reports, fines, or loss of family 41 visitation or other privileges. 42 (f) recommendations for further study to measure the success of the 43 labor program regarding rehabilitation, reentry, and reintegration into 44 the community. 45 § 6. Section 154 of the correction law, as added by chapter 788 of the 46 laws of 1968, subdivision 4 as amended by section 3 of part F of chapter 47 62 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows: 48 § 154. Disposition of [Earnings] earnings. The earnings of [a prison- 49 er] an incarcerated individual participating in a work release program, 50 less any payroll deductions required or authorized by law, shall be 51 deposited with the department in a trust fund account. Such earnings 52 shall not be subject to attachment or garnishment in the hands of the 53 department. The commissioner is authorized [to provide for disbursements 54 from the trust fund account for any or all of the following purposes: 55 1. Such costs incident to the prisoner's confinement as the commis- 56 sioner deems appropriate and reasonable. 
 S. 1208 6 1 2. Such costs related to the prisoner's work release program as the 2 commissioner deems appropriate and reasonable. 3 3. Support of the prisoner's dependents. 4 4. Payment of court fines, mandatory surcharge, sex offender registra- 5 tion fee, DNA databank fee, restitution or reparation, or forfeitures] 6 and shall approve requests by incarcerated individuals for the disburse- 7 ment of their earnings for commissary purchases, aid to dependents, or 8 any other lawful purposes. The balance of such earnings, if any, after 9 disbursements for any of the foregoing purposes shall be paid [to the 10 prisoner] by check issued by the department and payable to the incarcer- 11 ated individual upon termination of [his] such incarcerated individual's 12 imprisonment. 13 § 7. Subdivision 1 of section 170 of the correction law, as amended by 14 chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows: 15 1. The commissioner shall not, nor shall any other authority whatsoev- 16 er, make any contract by which the labor or time of any incarcerated 17 individual in any state or local correctional facility in this state, or 18 the product or profit of [his or her] such incarcerated individual's 19 work, shall be contracted, let, farmed out, given or sold to [any 20 person, firm, association or corporation; except that the incarcerated 21 individuals in said correctional institutions may work for, and the 22 products of their labor may be disposed of to, the state or any poli- 23 tical subdivision thereof, any public institution owned or managed and 24 controlled by the state, or any political subdivision thereof, provided 25 that no incarcerated individual shall be employed or assigned to engage 26 in any activity that involves obtaining access to, collecting or proc- 27 essing social security account numbers of other individuals] the state, 28 any subdivision thereof, the department, or any public, nonprofit or 29 private entity, shareholder, or individual unless such labor program is 30 in compliance with the requirements of this chapter. 31 § 8. Section 171 of the correction law, as amended by chapter 364 of 32 the laws of 1983, the section heading and subdivision 1 as amended by 33 chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows: 34 § 171. [Incarcerated individuals to be employed; products of labor of 35 incarcerated individuals] Terms and conditions of labor programs. 1. The 36 commissioner and the superintendents and officials of all penitentiaries 37 in the state may not cause incarcerated individuals in the state correc- 38 tional facilities and such penitentiaries [who are physically capable 39 thereof] to be employed for [not to exceed] more than eight hours of 40 each day other than Sundays and public holidays. Notwithstanding any 41 other provision of this section, however, the commissioner and super- 42 intendents of state correctional facilities may employ incarcerated 43 individuals on a volunteer basis on Sundays and public holidays in 44 specialized areas of the facility, including kitchen areas, vehicular 45 garages, rubbish pickup and grounds maintenance, providing, however, 46 that incarcerated individuals so employed shall be allowed an alterna- 47 tive free day within the normal work week. 48 2. [Such labor] Labor programs shall be [either] for the purpose of 49 [the production of supplies for said institutions, or for the state, or 50 any political subdivision thereof, or for any public institution owned 51 or managed and controlled by the state, or any political subdivision 52 thereof; or for the purpose of industrial training and instruction, or 53 partly for one, and partly for the other of such purposes] promoting 54 successful rehabilitation, reentry and reintegration into the community, 55 and not for the purpose of creating profits or cost-savings which inure 56 to the benefit of the state, any subdivision thereof, the department, or 
 S. 1208 7 1 any public or nonprofit entity, private entity, shareholder or individ- 2 ual. 3 3. All labor programs shall comply with the following terms and condi- 4 tions: 5 (a) No incarcerated individual shall be compelled, threatened, induced 6 or coerced to provide labor against such incarcerated individual's will 7 by means of actual or threatened force, punishment, sexual harm, or by 8 any other means reasonably likely to cause the incarcerated individual 9 to believe that, if they do not provide such labor, that they or another 10 person would suffer physical, emotional or mental harm, or other adverse 11 consequences; 12 (b) The wages paid to incarcerated individuals shall not be less than 13 the minimum wage established by article nineteen of the labor law; 14 (c) All health and safety protections required to be provided to 15 employees under federal and state labor law shall be provided to incar- 16 cerated individuals engaged in labor programs; 17 (d) All incarcerated individuals shall have the right to organize and 18 collectively bargain; and 19 (e) All incarcerated individuals shall be afforded an equal opportu- 20 nity to participate in labor programs and the commissioner, the super- 21 intendents and officials of all correctional facilities, jails, reforma- 22 tories and other institutions shall make all efforts to ensure that 23 assignments are distributed equitably and work is provided to all who 24 request it. 25 4. No incarcerated individual shall be discriminated against in a 26 labor program because of their age, race, creed, color, national origin, 27 sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, sex, 28 disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, mari- 29 tal status, or status as a victim of domestic violence. 30 5. The department shall not take any retaliatory action against an 31 incarcerated individual, whether or not within the scope of the individ- 32 ual's labor program duties, because such individual does any of the 33 following: 34 (a) discloses, or threatens to disclose to a supervisor or to a public 35 body an activity, policy, or practice of the department that the incar- 36 cerated individual reasonably believes is in violation of law, rule, or 37 regulation, or that the incarcerated individual reasonably believes 38 poses a substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety; 39 (b) provides information to, or testifies before, any public body 40 conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry into any such activity, 41 policy or practice by the department; or 42 (c) objects to, or refuses to participate in, any such activity, poli- 43 cy, or practice. 44 6. In no event shall an incarcerated individual be employed in an 45 establishment which has a labor dispute. 46 7. The department of labor shall exercise the same supervision over 47 conditions of employment for incarcerated individuals participating in 48 labor programs as such department does over conditions of employment for 49 non-incarcerated individuals. 50 8. Any incarcerated individual alleging a violation of subdivision 51 three, four, or five of this section against any correctional facility, 52 jail, reformatory, or other institution in the state shall have a cause 53 of action in the court of appropriate jurisdiction for damages and 54 injunctive relief and such other remedies as may be appropriate. 55 9. Any incarcerated individual alleging a violation of subdivision 56 three, four or five of this section against any officer or employee of 
 S. 1208 8 1 any correctional facility, jail, reformatory, or other institution in 2 the state shall, within ten years after the acts alleged to have 3 violated this section, have a cause of action for damages, including 4 punitive damages, injunctive relief, and such other remedies as may be 5 appropriate together with all reasonable attorney's fees and costs. 6 10. The immunity granted pursuant to subdivision one of section twen- 7 ty-four of this chapter shall not extend to actions brought pursuant to 8 subdivision three, four, or five of this section and any action 9 commenced under this section may be brought in any court of competent 10 jurisdiction, including the supreme court. 11 11. A violation of any of the provisions of subdivision three, four, 12 or five of this section by any officer or employee of any correctional 13 facility, jail, reformatory, or other institution in the state shall 14 constitute sufficient cause for the removal of such employee by the duly 15 constituted authority having jurisdiction. 16 § 9. Subdivision 3 of section 177 of the correction law, as amended by 17 chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows: 18 3. However, for the purpose of distributing, marketing or sale of the 19 whole or any part of the product of any correctional facility in the 20 state, other than by said state correctional facilities, to the state or 21 to any political subdivisions thereof or to any public institutions 22 owned or managed and controlled by the state, or by any political subdi- 23 visions thereof, or to any public corporation, authority, or eleemosy- 24 nary association funded in whole or in part by any federal, state or 25 local funds, the sheriff of any such local correctional facility and the 26 commissioner of corrections and community supervision may enter into a 27 contract or contracts which may determine the kinds and qualities of 28 articles to be produced by such institution and the method of distrib- 29 ution and sale thereof by the commissioner of corrections and community 30 supervision or under [his or her] such commissioner's direction, either 31 in separate lots or in combination with the products of other such 32 institutions and with the products produced by incarcerated individuals 33 in state correctional facilities. Such contracts may fix and determine 34 any and all terms and conditions for the disposition of such products 35 and the disposition of proceeds of sale thereof and any and all other 36 terms and conditions as may be agreed upon, not inconsistent with the 37 constitution or this chapter. However, no such contract shall be for a 38 period of more than one year and any prices fixed by such contract shall 39 be [the prices established pursuant to section one hundred eighty-six of 40 this article for like articles or shall be] approved by the [department 41 of corrections and community supervision] labor board and the director 42 of the budget on presentation to them of a copy of such contract or 43 proposed contract, and provided further that any distribution or diver- 44 sification of industries provided for by such contract shall be in 45 accordance with the rules and regulations established by the department 46 of corrections and community supervision or shall be approved by such 47 department on presentation to it of a copy of such contract or proposed 48 contract. 49 § 10. Section 178 of the correction law, as amended by chapter 322 of 50 the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows: 51 § 178. Participation in work release and other community activities. 52 Nothing contained in this article shall be construed or applied so as to 53 prohibit private employment of incarcerated individuals in the community 54 under a work release program, or a residential treatment facility 55 program [formulated pursuant to any provision] provided such employment 56 complies with the requirements of this chapter. 
 S. 1208 9 1 § 11. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 183 of the correction law, 2 subdivision 1 as amended by section 26 of subpart A of part C of chapter 3 62 of the laws of 2011 and subdivision 2 as added by chapter 464 of the 4 laws of 1981, are amended to read as follows: 5 1. It shall be the duty of the commissioner to distribute, among the 6 correctional institutions under [his] such commissioner's jurisdiction, 7 the labor and industries assigned to said institutions, due regard being 8 had to the location and convenience of the prisons, and of the other 9 institutions to be supplied, the machinery now therein and the number of 10 [prisoners] incarcerated individuals, in order to secure the best 11 service and distribution of the labor, and to employ the [prisoners, so 12 far as practicable,] incarcerated individuals in occupations in which 13 they will be most likely to obtain employment after their discharge from 14 imprisonment. The commissioner shall change or dispose of the present 15 plants and machinery in said institutions now used in industries which 16 shall be discontinued, and which can not be used in the industries here- 17 after to be carried on in said prisons, due effort to be made by full 18 notice to probable purchasers, in case of sales of industries or machin- 19 ery, to obtain the best price possible for the property sold, and good 20 will of the business to be discontinued. 21 2. The commissioner shall submit reports, quarterly, to the labor 22 board, the senate finance committee, the assembly ways and means commit- 23 tee, and the director of the budget, regarding industries under [his] 24 such commissioner's jurisdiction. Such reports shall include, but not 25 be limited to, the following: 26 (a) all materials, machinery or other property procured, and the cost 27 thereof; 28 (b) all other expenditures and the nature thereof; 29 (c) all receipts and the nature thereof; 30 (d) all inventory on hand at the opening and closing of the quarter; 31 and 32 (e) recommendations regarding the continuance of the program. 33 § 12. Sections 184, 185 and 186 of the correction law are REPEALED. 34 § 13. Section 187 of the correction law, as amended by chapter 322 of 35 the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows: 36 § 187. Earnings of incarcerated individuals. 1. Every incarcerated 37 individual confined in a [state] correctional facility, [subject to the 38 rules and regulations of the department of corrections and community 39 supervision, and every incarcerated individual confined in a local 40 correctional facility, in the discretion of the sheriff thereof, may] 41 jail, reformatory, or other institution in the state shall receive 42 compensation for work performed during [his or her] such incarcerated 43 individual's imprisonment. Such compensation shall be graded by the 44 [department of corrections and community supervision] labor board, with 45 regard to incarcerated individuals [employed in prison industries] 46 participating in labor programs, based upon the work performed by such 47 [prisoners for prisoners confined in state correctional facilities, and 48 by the sheriffs in all local correctional facilities for incarcerated 49 individuals confined therein] incarcerated individual. 50 2. The [department of corrections and community supervision] labor 51 board shall adopt rules, subject to the approval of the director of the 52 budget, for establishing in all of the state correctional facilities a 53 system of compensation for the incarcerated individuals confined there- 54 in. Such rules shall provide for the payment of compensation to each 55 incarcerated individual[, who] and shall meet the requirements estab- 56 lished by [the department of corrections and community supervision, 
 S. 1208 10 1 based upon the work performed by such incarcerated individuals] this 2 chapter. 3 3. The [department] labor board shall prepare graded wage schedules 4 for incarcerated individuals, which schedules shall be based upon clas- 5 sifications according to the value of work performed by each and in no 6 instance shall be lower than the minimum wage established by article 7 nineteen of the labor law. Such schedules [need not] shall be uniform in 8 all institutions. [The rules of the department shall also provide for 9 the establishment of a credit system for each incarcerated individual 10 and the manner in which such earnings shall be paid to the incarcerated 11 individual or [his or her] such incarcerated individual's dependents or 12 held in trust for [him or her] such incarcerated individual until [his 13 or her] such incarcerated individual's release. 14 4. Any compensation paid to an incarcerated individual under this 15 article shall be based on the work performed by such incarcerated indi- 16 vidual. Compensation may be paid from moneys appropriated to the depart- 17 ment and available to facilities for nonpersonal service.] 18 § 14. Section 189 of the correction law, as amended by chapter 738 of 19 the laws of 1942, is amended to read as follows: 20 § 189. Disposition of moneys paid to [prisoner] incarcerated individ- 21 ual for [his] such incarcerated individual's labor. The earnings, 22 including any accrued interest, of an incarcerated individual partic- 23 ipating in a labor program shall be held by the department in a trust 24 fund account. Such earnings shall not be subject to attachment or 25 garnishment in the hands of the department. The amount of such [compen- 26 sation] earnings to the credit of any [prisoner] incarcerated individual 27 may be drawn by the [prisoner] incarcerated individual during [his] such 28 incarcerated individual's imprisonment[, only upon approval of the 29 commissioner to] for aid to dependent relatives [of such prisoner], 30 commissary purchases, or for [such] any other [purposes as the commis- 31 sioner may approve. Such disbursement to aid a dependent relative of a 32 prisoner may be made without the consent of such prisoner upon the 33 certificate of the commissioner of welfare, or other officer performing 34 the duties of a commissioner of welfare, of the community in which such 35 dependent is located] lawful purpose. Any balance to the credit of any 36 [prisoner] incarcerated individual at the time of [his] such incarcerat- 37 ed individual's conditional release as provided by this chapter shall be 38 subject to the draft of the [prisoner in such amounts and at such times 39 as the commissioner shall approve] incarcerated individual; provided, 40 however, that at the date of absolute discharge of any [prisoner] incar- 41 cerated individual the balance as aforesaid shall be paid to such [pris- 42 oner] incarcerated individual. 43 § 15. Section 190 of the correction law, as amended by section 23 of 44 subpart B of part C of chapter 62 of the laws of 2011, is amended to 45 read as follows: 46 § 190. Monthly statement of receipts and expenditures for industries. 47 The warden of each of the state prisons shall, on the first of each 48 month, make a full detailed statement of all materials, machinery or 49 other property procured, and of the cost thereof, and of the expendi- 50 tures made during the last preceding month for manufacturing purposes, 51 together with a statement of all materials then on hand to be manufac- 52 tured, or in process of manufacture, or manufactured, and of machinery, 53 fixtures or other appurtenances for the purpose of carrying on the labor 54 of the [prisoners] incarcerated individual, and the amount and kinds of 55 work done, and the earnings realized, and the total amount of moneys 56 coming into [his or her] such incarcerated individual's hands as such 
 S. 1208 11 1 warden during such last preceding month as the proceeds of the labor of 2 the [prisoners] incarcerated individuals at such prison, which statement 3 shall be verified by the oath of such warden to be just and true, and 4 shall be by [him or her] such warden forwarded to the department and the 5 labor board. 6 § 16. Subdivisions 2, 3, 4, and 6 of section 200 of the correction 7 law, subdivisions 2, 3, and 4 as amended by chapter 322 of the laws of 8 2021, and subdivision 6 as added by chapter 536 of the laws of 1974, are 9 amended to read as follows: 10 2. In lieu of the system of labor in correctional institutions estab- 11 lished by this article, the [commissioner may] labor board shall, in 12 order to facilitate an incarcerated individual's eventual reintegration 13 into society, establish for the incarcerated individuals in one or more 14 state correctional institutions a system of educational, career and 15 industrial training programs, and of incentive allowances for each such 16 program. Educational, career and industrial training programs shall not 17 include any job or work that is part of a labor program as defined by 18 subdivision thirty-five of section two of this chapter. 19 3. For each institution wherein such system is established the 20 [commissioner] labor board shall prepare, and may at times revise, grad- 21 ed incentive allowance schedules for the incarcerated individuals within 22 each such program based upon the levels of performance and achievement 23 by an incarcerated individual in a program to which [he or she] such 24 incarcerated individual has been assigned. Upon the approval of the 25 director of the budget such schedules or revisions thereof may be 26 promulgated. 27 4. The [commissioner] labor board shall also provide for the estab- 28 lishment of a credit system for each incarcerated individual and the 29 manner in which incentive allowances shall be paid to the incarcerated 30 individual or [his or her] such incarcerated individual's dependents or 31 held in trust for [him or her] such incarcerated individual until [his 32 or her] such incarcerated individual's release. The amount of incentive 33 allowed to the credit of any incarcerated individual shall be disposed 34 of as provided by section one hundred eighty-nine of this article. 35 6. [Except as otherwise provided by this section, those provisions of 36 law dealing with labor in state correctional institutions shall apply to 37 industrial training in state correctional institutions including the 38 disposition of services rendered and products produced incidental to 39 such industrial training.] All health and safety protections required to 40 be provided to employees under federal and state labor law shall be 41 provided to incarcerated individuals engaged in educational, career and 42 industrial training programs. 43 § 17. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 162 of the state 44 finance law is REPEALED and paragraphs b, c, d, e, and f are relettered 45 paragraphs a, b, c, d, and e. 46 § 18. Subdivision 3 of section 162 of the state finance law, as added 47 by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, paragraphs a and b as amended by 48 section 164 of subpart B of part C of chapter 62 of the laws of 2011, is 49 amended to read as follows: 50 3. Public list of services and commodities provided by preferred 51 sources. 52 a. By December thirty-first, nineteen hundred ninety-five, the commis- 53 sioner, in consultation with the commissioners of [corrections and 54 community supervision,] the office of children and family services, the 55 office of temporary and disability assistance, mental health and educa- 56 tion, shall prepare a list of all commodities and services that are 
 S. 1208 12 1 available and are being provided as of said date, for purchase by state 2 agencies, public benefit corporations or political subdivisions from 3 those entities accorded preference or priority status under this 4 section. Such list may include references to catalogs and other descrip- 5 tive literature which are available directly from any provider accorded 6 preferred status under this section. The commissioner shall make this 7 list available to prospective vendors, state agencies, public benefit 8 corporations, political subdivisions and other interested parties. Ther- 9 eafter, new or substantially different commodities or services may only 10 be made available by preferred sources for purchase by more than one 11 state agency, public benefit corporation or political subdivision after 12 addition to said list. 13 b. After January first, nineteen hundred ninety-six, upon the applica- 14 tion of [the commissioner of corrections and community supervision,] the 15 commissioner of the office of children and family services, the office 16 of temporary and disability assistance, the commissioner of mental 17 health or the commissioner of education, or a non-profit-making facili- 18 tating agency designated by one of the said commissioners pursuant to 19 paragraph e of subdivision [six] five of this section, the state 20 procurement council may recommend that the commissioner: (i) add commod- 21 ities or services to, or (ii) in order to insure that such list reflects 22 current production and/or availability of commodities and services, 23 delete at the request of a preferred source, commodities or services 24 from, the list established by paragraph a of this subdivision. The coun- 25 cil may make a non-binding recommendation to the relevant preferred 26 source to delete a commodity or service from such list. Additions may be 27 made only for new services or commodities, or for services or commod- 28 ities that are substantially different from those reflected on said list 29 for that provider. The decision to recommend the addition of services or 30 commodities shall be based upon a review of relevant factors as deter- 31 mined by the council including costs and benefits to be derived from 32 such addition and shall include an analysis by the office of general 33 services conducted pursuant to subdivision [six] five of this section. 34 Unless the state procurement council shall make a recommendation to the 35 commissioner on any such application within one hundred twenty days of 36 receipt thereof, such application shall be deemed recommended. In the 37 event that the state procurement council shall deny any such applica- 38 tion, the commissioner or non-profit-making agency which submitted such 39 application may, within thirty days of such denial, appeal such denial 40 to the commissioner of general services who shall review all materials 41 submitted to the state procurement council with respect to such applica- 42 tion and who may request such further information or material as is 43 deemed necessary. Within sixty days of receipt of all information or 44 materials deemed necessary, the commissioner shall render a written 45 final decision on the application which shall be binding upon the appli- 46 cant and upon the state procurement council. 47 c. The list maintained by the office of general services pursuant to 48 paragraph a of this subdivision shall be revised as necessary to reflect 49 the additions and deletions of commodities and services approved by the 50 state procurement council. 51 § 19. Subparagraph (iii) of paragraph a of subdivision 4 of section 52 162 of the state finance law is REPEALED. 53 § 20. Subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of paragraph a, subparagraphs (i), 54 (ii) and (iii) of paragraph b and paragraph c of subdivision 4 of 55 section 162 of the state finance law, subparagraph (i) of paragraph a as 56 amended by section 164 of subpart B of part C of chapter 62 of the laws 
 S. 1208 13 1 of 2011, subparagraph (ii) of paragraph a as amended by chapter 91 of 2 the laws of 2023, subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of paragraph b and para- 3 graph c as added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, and subparagraph 4 (iii) of paragraph b of subdivision 4 as amended by chapter 430 of the 5 laws of 1997, are amended to read as follows: 6 (i) When commodities are available, in the form, function and utility 7 required by a state agency, public authority, commission, public benefit 8 corporation or political subdivision, said commodities must be purchased 9 first from [the correctional industries program of the department of 10 corrections and community supervision] approved charitable non-profit- 11 making agencies for the blind; 12 (ii) When commodities are available, in the form, function and utility 13 required by, a state agency or political subdivision or public benefit 14 corporation having their own purchasing agency, and such commodities are 15 not available pursuant to subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, said 16 commodities shall then be purchased from [approved charitable non-pro- 17 fit-making agencies for the blind] a qualified non-profit-making agency 18 for other severely disabled persons, a qualified special employment 19 program for mentally ill persons, or a qualified veterans' workshop, 20 provided, however, the preferred source shall perform fifty percent or 21 more of the work; 22 (i) state agencies or political subdivisions or public benefit corpo- 23 rations having their own purchasing agency shall make reasonable efforts 24 to provide a notification describing their requirements to those 25 preferred sources, or to the facilitating entity identified in paragraph 26 e of subdivision [six] five of this section, which provide the required 27 services as indicated on the official public list maintained by the 28 office of general services pursuant to subdivision three of this 29 section; 30 (ii) if, within ten days of the notification required by subparagraph 31 (i) of this paragraph, one or more preferred sources or facilitating 32 entities identified in paragraph e of subdivision [six] five of this 33 section submit a notice of intent to provide the service in the form, 34 function and utility required, said service shall be purchased in 35 accordance with this section. If more than one preferred source or 36 facilitating entity identified in paragraph e of subdivision [six] five 37 of this section submits notification of intent and meets the require- 38 ments, costs shall be the determining factor for purchase among the 39 preferred sources; 40 (iii) if, within ten days of the notification required by subparagraph 41 (i) of this paragraph, no preferred source or facilitating entity iden- 42 tified in paragraph e of subdivision [six] five of this section indi- 43 cates intent to provide the service, then the service shall be procured 44 in accordance with section one hundred sixty-three of this article. If, 45 after such period, a preferred source elects to bid on the service, 46 award shall be made in accordance with section one hundred sixty-three 47 of this article or as otherwise provided by law. 48 c. For the purposes of commodities and services produced by special 49 employment programs operated by facilities approved or operated by the 50 office of mental health, facilities within the office of mental health 51 shall be exempt from the requirements of subparagraph (i) of paragraph a 52 of this subdivision. When such requirements of the office of mental 53 health cannot be met pursuant to subparagraph (ii) [or (iii)] of para- 54 graph a of this subdivision, or paragraph b of this subdivision, the 55 office of mental health may purchase commodities and services which are 56 competitive in price and comparable in quality to those which could 
 S. 1208 14 1 otherwise be obtained in accordance with this article, from special 2 employment programs operated by facilities within the office of mental 3 health or other programs approved by the office of mental health. 4 § 21. Subparagraph (ii) of paragraph a of subdivision 4 of section 162 5 of the state finance law, as added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, is 6 amended to read as follows: 7 (ii) When commodities are available, in the form, function and utility 8 required by, a state agency or political subdivision or public benefit 9 corporation having their own purchasing agency, and such commodities are 10 not available pursuant to subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, said 11 commodities shall then be purchased from [approved charitable non-pro- 12 fit-making agencies for the blind] a qualified non-profit-making agency 13 for other severely disabled persons, a qualified special employment 14 program for mentally ill persons, or a qualified veterans' workshop 15 provided, however, the preferred source shall perform fifty percent or 16 more of the work; 17 § 22. Subdivision 5 of section 162 of the state finance law is 18 REPEALED and subdivisions 6, 7, 8, and 9 are renumbered subdivisions 5, 19 6, 7 and 8. 20 § 23. The opening paragraph and paragraph a of subdivision 5 of 21 section 162 of the state finance law, as amended by chapter 565 of the 22 laws of 2022 and as renumbered by section twenty-two of this act, is 23 amended to read as follows: 24 Prices charged by agencies for the blind, other disabled and veterans' 25 entity, and the department of corrections and community supervision. 26 a. [Except with respect to the correctional industries program of the 27 department of corrections and community supervision, it] It shall be the 28 duty of the commissioner to determine, and from time to time review, the 29 prices of all commodities and to approve the price of all services 30 provided by the department of corrections and community supervision and 31 preferred sources as specified in this section offered to state agen- 32 cies, political subdivisions or public benefit corporations having their 33 own purchasing office. The commissioner's price review and approval 34 shall not be required for any purchases below one hundred thousand 35 dollars. 36 § 24. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 139-j 37 of the state finance law, as amended by chapter 265 of the laws of 2013, 38 is amended to read as follows: 39 (9) Any communications relating to a governmental procurement made 40 under section one hundred sixty-two of the state finance law undertaken 41 by (i) the non-profit-making agencies appointed pursuant to paragraph e 42 of subdivision [six] five of section one hundred sixty-two of the state 43 finance law by the commissioner of the office of children and family 44 services, the commission for the blind, or the commissioner of educa- 45 tion, and (ii) the qualified charitable non-profit-making agencies for 46 the blind, and qualified charitable non-profit-making agencies for other 47 severely disabled persons as identified in subdivision two of section 48 one hundred sixty-two of this chapter; provided, however, that any 49 communications which attempt to influence the issuance or terms of the 50 specifications that serve as the basis for bid documents, requests for 51 proposals, invitations for bids, or solicitations of proposals, or any 52 other method for soliciting a response from offerers intending to result 53 in a procurement contract with a state agency, the state legislature, 54 the unified court system, a municipal agency or local legislative body 55 shall not be exempt from the provisions of this paragraph; provided, 56 however, that nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as recog- 
 S. 1208 15 1 nizing or creating any new rights, duties or responsibilities or abro- 2 gating any existing rights, duties or responsibilities of any govern- 3 mental entity as it pertains to implementation and enforcement of 4 article eleven of this chapter or any other provision of law dealing 5 with the governmental procurement process, and that nothing in this 6 subdivision shall be interpreted to limit the authority of a govern- 7 mental entity involved in a government procurement by exercise of an 8 oversight function from providing information to offerers regarding the 9 status of the review, oversight, or approval of a governmental procure- 10 ment that has been submitted to or is under review by that governmental 11 entity; 12 § 25. Subparagraph (G) of the second undesignated paragraph of subdi- 13 vision (c) of section 1-c of the legislative law, as amended by chapter 14 265 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows: 15 (G) Any activity relating to governmental procurements made under 16 section one hundred sixty-two of the state finance law undertaken by (i) 17 the non-profit-making agencies appointed pursuant to paragraph e of 18 subdivision [six] five of section one hundred sixty-two of the state 19 finance law by the commissioner of the office of children and family 20 services, the commission for the blind, or the commissioner of educa- 21 tion, and (ii) the qualified charitable non-profit-making agencies for 22 the blind, and qualified charitable non-profit-making agencies for other 23 severely disabled persons as identified in subdivision two of section 24 one hundred sixty-two of the state finance law; provided, however, that 25 any attempt to influence the issuance or terms of the specifications 26 that serve as the basis for bid documents, requests for proposals, invi- 27 tations for bids, or solicitations of proposals, or any other method for 28 soliciting a response from offerers intending to result in a procurement 29 contract with a state agency, the state legislature, the unified court 30 system, a municipal agency or local legislative body shall not be exempt 31 from the definition of "lobbying" or "lobbying activities" under this 32 subparagraph; 33 § 26. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdi- 34 vision, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of 35 competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, 36 impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in 37 its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section 38 or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg- 39 ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of 40 the legislature that this act would have been enacted even if such 41 invalid provisions had not been included herein. 42 § 27. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that 43 the relettering of paragraphs d, e and f of subdivision 2 of section 162 44 of the state finance law made by section eighteen of this act shall not 45 affect the expiration of such paragraphs and shall expire therewith; 46 provided further, however, that the amendments to subparagraph (ii) of 47 paragraph a of subdivision 4 of section 162 of the state finance law 48 made by section twenty of this act shall be subject to the expiration 49 and reversion of such subparagraph pursuant to section 2 of chapter 91 50 of the laws of 2023, as amended, when upon such date the provisions of 51 section twenty-one of this act shall take effect; provided further, that 52 the amendments to section 139-j of the state finance law made by section 53 twenty-four of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and 54 shall be deemed repealed therewith.